Carnival in Rio is a massive party that takes place annually in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is officially called “Rio Carnaval” and lasts around 7 days. In 2013, Carnival attracted 21 million visitors making it the largest event in Latin America. And like many other parts of the world, Rio has adopted some American elements into its celebration including the use of Mardi Gras beads. See how this festival got its name and its history here!
Carnival Parade's origin dates back to 1534 when the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama first landed on the Brazilian coast. The people were amazed at how the Europeans could stand under the hot sun while wearing heavy clothes. They then started having parades in celebration of their safe return from India. This was later adopted by the Spanish who called it Carnaval. In Brazil, this festival has been celebrated since the 1700s and grew over time to become what it is today. There are several similarities between this festival and Mardi Gras. Both have religious origins, involve costumes and masks, and feature music and dancing. Each city decides its own parade route since carnival has no set date as Mardi Gras does.
The official carnival festivities begin in February but many cities celebrate before that. According to legend, the day before Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of carnival season. There are various ways to mark this date; some cities celebrate it with a huge party where attendees dress in costume while others choose to go about it quietly. Each year, to participate in the celebrations, tourists flock to Brazil to watch the colorful festivities. The biggest carnival parades can attract hundreds of thousands of spectators. This tradition dates back to the early days of Brazilian society. People from all over the country came together under their own flags (the color representing their region) and danced and sang, celebrated, and enjoyed the festivities at the end of winter.
In modern times, the carnival is a month-long celebration. Many parties happen throughout the week leading up to the big day. The biggest party is called Carnaval. It occurs in February of each year but begins about 10 days before Ash Wednesday. The parade begins with people dressed up as animals and monsters, wearing colorful costumes and masks. They marched through the streets playing music and dancing along the way. There are parades everywhere around the city. Every neighborhood gathers its own group of artists to participate in the celebrations.
A common misconception is that carnival is only celebrated during Lent in Brazil. This is actually false! Carnivals are celebrated year-round throughout Brazil, but the biggest ones occur from February through April. Some consider carnival to be a religious holiday. Many people go dressed in their best clothes and celebrate with friends and family. Others have gone as far as to wear costumes and even makeup to imitate famous figures they admire. The parade route usually begins at Praça Onze, which is located in downtown Rio de Janeiro, where the statue of Christ the Redeemer stands. From there, the parade winds its way along the streets until it reaches Sambódromo, where fans gather and watch the dancing and other festivities.
